Think 'Champagne' and the first thing that comes to mind is celebration. No other wine is so associated with joy and gaiety as is Champagne. This drink has toasted millions of weddings, launched thousands of ships and attended an innumerable number of parties. 

So what is champagne anyway?

Champagne contains about 12% alcohol, and is actually a form of sparkling wine.  However, all sparkling wines are not Champagne. Only those which are made in the Champagne region, in the northeast of France, are called Champagne. The Champagne region was once an important trade centre because of its easy accessibility, and as commercial activity increased in this region, the wines of Champagne gained in popularity. 

However, in the earlier years, till the mid-1600s, the drink 'Champagne' was as yet non-existent. Wines were all in their still form, and they were a favourite amongst the nobles and aristocracy of that time. During their making, wines had a tendency to bubble, and most winemakers spent a lot of their time trying to contain these bubbles. Wines with bubbles were considered to be of poor quality. Dom Perignon, one such wine maker, also spent most of his time trying to figure out a way to contain these bubbles. In doing so, he stumbled upon an art of blending the grapes to such perfection, that the resultant drink was nothing short of brilliant. Thus, champagne was born. So while Perignon was not the 'inventor' of champagne, as the bubbles were always there, he was the first 'master blender'. Before long, this drink became the preferred drink at aristocratic parties in France and England, and eventually the production of Champagne became a full fledged, organized industry. 

American Champagne

For a long time, only the French had the right to bottle Champagne. According to the Treaty of Madrid and the Treaty of Versailles, a sparkling wine had to be produced in the Champagne region to be labeled 'Champagne'. (This is perhaps what led Winston S Churchill to proclaim, during World War I, "Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!") However, as the United States was in the midst of Prohibition in 1919, it did not enter into this treaty. The minute Prohibition was lifted, America took advantage of this loophole and came out with their own version of Champagne. Thus, the American Champagne was born. However, such Champagnes must make a mention of the region they were produced in, on the label of the bottle.

Making Champagne

As everyone knows, or should know, wine is made from grapes, and conclusively, so is champagne. Three types of grapes are used in the wine making process: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Of these, Chardonnay is the most expensive and provides for a very fine quality of champagne. Blanc de Blanc champagnes are made exclusively with Chardonnay grapes, and are the most delicate of all champagnes. Blanc de Noirs, on the other hand, are white in colour, but are made from black grapes, and have some Chardonnay in their blend. They are fuller and heavier than pure Chardonnays. 

Toasts

Which is the best champagne to toast with? Most wine experts recommend Blanc de Blanc, because it is light, crisp, and goes well with light foods. On the other hand, if you are looking for a champagne to go with a meal, go in for a Blanc Noir, which is heavier and can stand up to richer food.